Sterilization ≠ Disinfection: Why in Florida Your Manicure May Be at Risk — and How I’ve Changed the Rules
* Photo: Official portrait from Dr. Dana Stern’s public website — board-certified dermatologist and nail health specialist.
I recently came across an interview in NailPro with Dr. Dana Stern, a renowned New York dermatologist and expert on nail health. Her words hit the mark with no ambiguity:
“The quality and safety of your manicure don’t depend on trendy techniques — they depend on the technician’s personal responsibility.”
— Dr. Dana Stern (NailPro, 2024)
This statement underscores a critical flaw in Florida’s nail industry standards.
⸻
An Industry Weak on Safety
Did you know that current regulations for manicure salons in Florida don’t require sterilization of tools? The standard protocol reads like this: rinse, wipe dry, and maybe place under a UV lamp.
Sounds clean, doesn’t it? It’s anything but.
Under such conditions, bacteria, viruses, and fungi survive easily—and can be passed from client to client.
That’s because disinfection ≠ sterilization:
• Disinfection only reduces the number of pathogens.
• Sterilization destroys all harmful microorganisms, including fungal spores and bacteria—leaving no margin for risk.
In hospitals, sterilization is mandatory. Yet in many Florida nail salons, it’s optional.
⸻
What I Do Differently
In my boutique nail studio in Celebration, we operate under medical-grade principles—no compromises:
• One emery board, one buffer, one orange stick per client, then disposed.
• Disposable gloves, changed after every single client.
• All tools are sterilized in an autoclave, the medical standard.
An autoclave uses high-pressure steam at 120 °C to eliminate every form of microbial life—rendering instruments perfectly sterile.
⸻
Why I Stand with Dr. Stern
Dr. Stern highlights the technician’s responsibility—and she couldn’t be more right.
In Russia, nail technicians train under protocols akin to those in medical professions. They learn nail anatomy, circulatory physiology, and proper sterilization methods.
I’ve brought that same attention to detail to my studio here.
Every tool I use is 100% sterile.
⸻
My philosophy is simple: You can’t have truly beautiful nails if you compromise on safety.
Your Russian manicure shouldn’t just look flawless—it should be performed under a sterile shield.
Come and see the difference for yourself.
